Far Away Eyes

Last updated
"Far Away Eyes"
Far Away Eyes Rolling Stones back cover Miss You.jpg
Back cover of "Miss You" / "Far Away Eyes"
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album Some Girls
A-side "Miss You"
Released9 June 1978
Recorded10 October 21 December 1977;
Studio Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris
Genre Country, country rock
Length4:24
Label Rolling Stones/Virgin
Songwriter(s) Jagger/Richards
Producer(s) The Glimmer Twins
Official video
"Far Away Eyes" on YouTube

"Far Away Eyes" is the sixth track from the English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1978 album, Some Girls. It was released, as the B-side of the single "Miss You", on Rolling Stones Records, on 9 June 1978. Rolling Stone magazine made it the 73rd song on their list of 100 Greatest Rolling Stone's Songs. [1]

Contents

Origin

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards collaborated extensively on writing and composing the song, which was recorded in late 1977. [2] A bootleg version with Richards singing exists. The Stones, longtime country music fans, incorporated many aspects of Bakersfield-style country music into this song. These included in particular Ronnie Wood's use of a pedal steel guitar for a solo and highlights, an instrument used on other songs from the album such as "Shattered" and "When the Whip Comes Down."[ citation needed ] Also of note[ who? ] is the plodding rhythm of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.[ citation needed ] Richards performed acoustic and electric guitars as well as sharing piano duties with Jagger.[ citation needed ]

Content

In the lyrics, the loneliness of life and the possibilities in finding love are dealt with:

So if you're down on your luck and you can't harmonize

Find a girl with far away eyes
And if you're downright disgusted and life ain't worth a dime

Get a girl with far away eyes.

The verses of the song are half sung, half spoken, with Jagger using a parodic Southern accent:

I was driving home early Sunday morning through Bakersfield

Listening to gospel music on the coloured radio station
And the preacher said, 'You know, you always have the Lord by your side'
Well, I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran twenty red lights in His honor

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. [1]

In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Jagger said: "You know, when you drive through Bakersfield on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening—I did that about six months ago—all the country music radio stations start broadcasting black gospel services live from L.A. And that's what the song refers to. But the song's really about driving alone, listening to the radio." On influences, Jagger stated: "I wouldn't say this song was influenced specifically by Gram (Parsons). That idea of country music played slightly tongue-in-cheek—Gram had that in 'Drugstore Truck Drivin' Man', and we have that sardonic quality, too." Asked by the interviewer if the girl in the song was a real one, Jagger replied, "Yeah, she's real, she's a real girl." [3]

Live performances

The Rolling Stones performed "Far Away Eyes" at every concert of their U.S. Tour 1978. It is performed in the concert film, Some Girls: Live in Texas '78 , featuring fiddle player Doug "the Ragin' Cajun" Kershaw. Since that time, the song has been performed sporadically. A live recording from July 1995 was included on the album Totally Stripped (2016), and a performance from the Stones' 2006 A Bigger Bang Tour appeared in the 2008 concert film, Shine a Light , and on the accompanying live album. On 20 May 2013, the song was performed in Los Angeles as part of the Stones' "50 & Counting Tour." During their Zip Code Tour the Stones performed "Far Away Eyes" at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee on 17 June 2015. The Rolling Stones performed the song for the first time live since 2015—as the "vote song" chosen by the audience—at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida as part of their No Filter Tour. [4]

The song has been covered by The Handsome Family on their 2002 album Smothered and Covered . [5]

Promotional video

The official promotional video was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, [6] who directed several other videos for the band, including those for "Start Me Up," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "Fool to Cry." Lindsay-Hogg also directed promotional videos for The Beatles, The Who, and Paul McCartney and Wings.

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumpin' Jack Flash</span> 1968 single by the Rolling Stones

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone magazine, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the baroque pop and psychedelia heard on their preceding albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and especially Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). One of the group's most popular and recognisable songs, it has been featured in films and covered by numerous performers, notably Thelma Houston, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell and Alex Chilton. To date, it is the band's most-performed song; they have played it over 1,100 times in concert.

<i>The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus</i> 1996 British film

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was a concert film hosted by and featuring the Rolling Stones, filmed on 11–12 December 1968. It was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who proposed the idea of a "rock and roll circus" to Jagger. The show was filmed on a makeshift circus stage with Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and the Rolling Stones. John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a one-shot supergroup called The Dirty Mac, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and the Stones' Keith Richards on bass. The recently formed Led Zeppelin had been considered for inclusion, but the idea was rejected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss You (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1978 single by The Rolling Stones

"Miss You" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on Rolling Stones Records in May 1978. It was released as the first single one month in advance of their album Some Girls. "Miss You" was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast of Burden (song)</span> 1978 song by The Rolling Stones

"Beast of Burden" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on the 1978 album Some Girls. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song No. 435 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Licks Tour</span> 2002–03 concert tour by The Rolling Stones

The Licks Tour was a worldwide concert tour undertaken by the Rolling Stones during 2002 and 2003, in support of their 40th anniversary compilation album Forty Licks. The tour grossed over $300 million, becoming the second highest-grossing tour at that time, behind their own Voodoo Lounge Tour of 1994–1995.

"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It is the opening track on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and fear. It features prominent guest vocals by American singer Merry Clayton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respectable (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1978 single by the Rolling Stones

"Respectable" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1978 album Some Girls. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation album Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones, Jagger said, "It's important to be somewhat influenced by what's going on around you and on the Some Girls album, I think we definitely became more aggressive because of the punk thing..."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour</span> 1989–90 concert tour by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour was a concert tour which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album Steel Wheels; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the Tokyo Dome. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo, was called the Urban Jungle Tour; it ran from May to August 1990. These would be the last live concerts for the band with original member Bill Wyman on bass guitar. This tour would also be the longest the band had ever done up to that point, playing over twice as many shows as their standard tour length from the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones US Tour 1978</span> 1978 concert tour by the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones' US Tour 1978 was a concert tour of the United States that took place during June and July 1978, immediately following the release of the group's 1978 album Some Girls. Like the 1972 and 1975 U.S. tours, Bill Graham was the tour promoter. One opening act was Peter Tosh, who was sometimes joined by Mick Jagger for their duet "Don't Look Back". The Outlaws backed up Peter Tosh. Another act opening that day was Etta James, famous for her classic song “At Last”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones European Tour 1973</span> 1973 concert tour by the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones 1973 European Tour was a concert tour of Great Britain and Continental Europe in September and October 1973 by The Rolling Stones.

"Little T&A" is the fourth song on the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1981 album Tattoo You. The song is sung by guitarist Keith Richards. It was the B-Side of their single "Waiting on a Friend".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones UK Tour 1971</span> 1971 concert tour by the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones' 1971 UK Tour was a brief concert tour of England and Scotland that took place over three weeks in March 1971.

"Shine a Light" is a song released by English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1972 album Exile on Main St. about founding band member Brian Jones and was subsequently reworked and released after his 1969 death.

"When the Whip Comes Down" is a song by the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from their 1978 album Some Girls.

"Neighbours" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is an uptempo song featuring a saxophone part played by Sonny Rollins. The song was released 24 August 1981 by Rolling Stones Records and included as the sixth track on the band's 1981 studio album Tattoo You.

<i>The Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge Live</i> 1995 Rolling Stones concert film

Voodoo Lounge Live is a concert video by the rock band the Rolling Stones. It was filmed on 25 November 1994 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida during the Voodoo Lounge Tour. The concert was broadcast as a pay-per-view special.

The Rolling Stones' 1966 American Tour was a concert tour by the band. The tour commenced on June 24 and concluded on July 28, 1966. Two weeks prior to the start of the tour, Mick Jagger collapsed from "nervous exhaustion" and was hospitalized. On this tour, the band supported their album Aftermath. The last gig of the tour in Honolulu, Hawaii was broadcast on Hawaiian radio station KPOI.

<i>Some Girls: Live in Texas 78</i> 2011 live album by the Rolling Stones

Some Girls: Live in Texas '78 is a live concert film by the Rolling Stones released in 2011. This live performance was recorded and filmed in 16 mm during one show at the Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth, Texas on 18 July 1978, during their US Tour 1978 in support of their album Some Girls. The concert film was released on DVD/Blu-ray Disc, combo and on 18 November 2011. Originally the CD was exclusive to the combo sets, but in June 2017, the CD was made available separately for the first time.

<i>Hampton Coliseum</i> (album) 2012 live album by the Rolling Stones

Hampton Coliseum is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2012. It was recorded at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on 18 December 1981, for what was the penultimate show of the band's U.S. tour that year. The show was the first-ever live pay-per-view broadcast of a music concert. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through Google Music on 30 January 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zip Code (tour)</span> 2015 concert tour by the Rolling Stones

Zip Code was a concert tour by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It began on 24 May 2015 in San Diego and travelled across North America before concluding on 15 July 2015 in Quebec City. The tour was announced on 31 March 2015 with tickets going on sale to the general public two weeks later. The name is a reference to the jeans-related artwork for Sticky Fingers, which received a special re-release in 2015, and had its entire track list played during the Zip Code Tour.

References

  1. 1 2 "100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. Patel, Cyrus R. K. (2011). The Rolling Stones' Some Girls. New York City: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 55. ISBN   978-1441-1928-06.
  3. Jonathan Cott (1978-06-29). "Mick Jagger: Jumpin' Jack Flash at 34". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. The Rolling Stones Setlist: October 29, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL, USA, Setlist.fm
  5. "The Handsome Family – Smothered And Covered – A Personal Collection Of Rarities Including Odd Covers, Bathroom Demos, And Orphaned Songs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. The Rolling Stones – Far Away Eyes – OFFICIAL PROMO on YouTube